1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image edit processing apparatus for editing digital images, and an image output apparatus for printing out the processed digital image. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus of the type in which image data read by an image scanner, and such editorial jobs as enlargement/reduction, change of resolution, rotation, composition, and correction of tone or brightness are carried out for the read image data by a personal computer or work station or in print service.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing the construction of an image-edit processing apparatus of prior art. The image-edit processing apparatus of FIG. 24, as a layout scanner, is comprised of an image memory section 241 for storing image data that is read by the scanner, an image edit processing unit 242 for carrying out edit jobs of the image data, which is stored in the image memory unit 241, an edit processing memory unit 243 for storing the edit jobs executed in the image edit processing unit 242 and the order of carrying out the edit jobs, a resolution converting unit 244 for making a resolution conversion in order to match a resolution of the image data generated by the image edit processing unit 242 to that of an output device to be given later, and the output device 245, such as a display or a printer, for outputting the edited image data in the form of an image or a picture.
In the image-edit processing apparatus thus arranged, an image on an original document is read by a scanner, not shown, and is stored as image data into the image memory unit 241. When the image data of the image memory unit 241 is edited, for example, enlarged/reduced, a procedure for the edit processing is read out of the edit processing memory unit 243 by an operation on a keyboard, not shown. In the image edit processing unit 242, the image data is read out of the image memory unit 241 and processed according to the process also read out of the edit processing memory unit 243. The data edited by the image edit processing unit 242 is transferred to the resolution converting unit 244 where the resolution of the edited image data is converted to the resolution of the output device 245. The output device 245 outputs the image data as desired in the form of an image.
Another prior art apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei. 2-280459. In the prior art, image data is divided into original image data and image data at low resolution in the computer side. The computer edits the image data at low resolution and generates a set of instructions of a procedure to form an image of the final output. According to the set of instructions the computer and another control unit processes the original image data for its outputting.
Thus, the computer generates the set of instructions from the original image data, and another control unit executes the set of instructions. Therefore, the time to transfer the image data to the computer can be reduced.
In the image-edit processing apparatus shown in FIG. 24, the image edit processing unit 242 edits the image data at the same resolution as that of the input image, irrespective of the resolution of the output device 245. Thus, in the conventional apparatus, even when the output device 245 is a low resolution output device such as a CRT display or a printer of which the resolution is lower than that of the input image, the image edit processing unit performs the edit processing at the resolution of the input image. Accordingly, much time must be taken for the image storing operation and edit processing.
The edit processing by the image edit processing unit 242 is performed according to the edit processing procedure stored in the edit processing memory unit 243. After the processing, the resolution converting unit 244 must execute the processing to match the resolution of the image data to that of the output device 245. For this reason, the edit processing takes much time.
In the conventional image-edit processing apparatus, the edit processing stored in the edit processing memory unit 243, for example, resemblance processings such as enlargement and reduction are sequentially executed by the image edit processing unit 242. When several instructions for enlargement/reduction are repeated to obtain an image of a desired size, if the processing is performed by using only the final result of the enlargement/reduction processing, a single processing suffices for gaining such an image. Nevertheless, several executions of instructions according to the procedure that is stored in the edit processing memory unit 243 are required.
Further, in the conventional image edit processing apparatus, the procedure for the edit processing is previously determined in the edit processing memory unit 243. Therefore, in the edit processing not influenced by the resolution, such as color correction, after the number of pixels of an image under process is increased, for example, after the image is enlarged, the correction is carried out. For this reason, much time is taken for the image edit processing. In order that the edit processing is performed at high speed, an expensive hardware is required.
The image-edit processing apparatus described in Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. Hei. 2-280459 is advantageous in that the time to transfer data between the input device and the image edit unit in the computer is reduced. However, the apparatus still involves the problems as stated above since the edit processing is previously determined.